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Samuel Joshua C. De Leon
Feature
Page 1 of 4
On being a Yamashita
When the Japanese waged war ended in the Philippines, many people were displaced
from their homes. Many have also been tortured and have died in the hands of the Japanese. One
name, or surname, that stands out the most, is Yamashita.
Bearing that name could be the only problem that you will ever have but it could be a
grave one. You see, General Tomoyuki Yamashita was a Japanese general during the World War
II and was known by the moniker “Tiger of Malaysia.” Of course, having experienced the war
and lived through it, people began to hate the name. Just hearing it irked the townsfolk, especiallt
those who lost their relatives under Yamashita’s command.
One person, an exceptional one, just happened to bear the name Yamashita. She is Hilda
Tadaoan, daughter of Tokutaro Yamashita.
Tokutaro Yamashita first came to Baguio City around the year 1904. He was one of the
many Japanese who worked on Kennon Road. After this, he was taken to Sagada by the late Rev.
John Staunton, where he was commissioned to build the church of Saint Mary the Virgin, among
others. In 1917, he met Hilda’s mother and they got married. Hilda was the sixth among nine
children.
During the war that is from 1941 to 1945, people lived in fear of the Japanese. Innocent
men were killed in mere suspicion of being against the Japanese. On the other hand, Filipinos
suspect that Hilda’s family was working for the Japanese army and vice-versa.
In 1942, the Japanese ordered the closure of some schools, including the Trinidad
Agricultural High School where Hilda was enrolled as a first year student.
More than a historical account of the war, the important highlight of this article is the
suffering of Hilda Tadaoan as a bearer of the Yamashita surname.
After the war, the Trinidad High School was open once again and students began to
enrol. This was in 1946. But Hilda’s mother refused to let her go back to school because people
were still angry, especially with General Yamashita. As such, people who bear the surname will
earn the ire of the people. Then in October 1946, Hilda was able to convince her mother to allow
her to go back to school. It was good that the principal was kind enough to accept Hilda even
after five months have gone into the school year. Of course, she had to make up for missed
classes and activities. Though she missed a lot, she was able to cope with the academics. She was
also able to catch up with the current lessons.
However, there was one thing would always have a negative impact on her: her surname.
In school, she was called the “daughter of the Tiger of Malaya,” a play on the nickname given to
General Yamashita. Despite this, she excelled in her academics and was always at the top of ther
class. She was also at the Honors List of every grading period, and she received the “All-around
Student” award.
However, her previous honors were not considered when she was about to graduate. The
schools superintendent said that another one should be conferred the title of Valedictorian.
However, her class records were retained since she worked hard for those grades, and her
teachers knew how much dedication she put into her work.
Moreover, she was not given a teaching position because she is a Yamashita. Being a
graduate of the Special Normal Curriculum has its benefits including teaching appointments. All
the graduates were given teaching positions except for Hilda. The superintendent told his staff “I
will not employ that Yamashita girl who bears the same name as the general who slaughtered my
relatives.” This will make us wonder, “is it her fault that her surname is Yamashita?” she waited
and waited but to no avail. It was good that a high ranking official spoke to the superintendent on
hilda’s behalf. She was then assigned to a school in Apayao.
In July, she was advised to report to the superintendent in Baguio. She was afraid
thinking that her position might be taken away from her. What happened was contrary to her
fears. The superintendent assigned her to her hometown: Sagada, after the superintendent had a
conversation with an official who told him about Tadaoan’s excellent performance in school and
in the community.
This leads us to think about the way we look at people, not only because of skin color or
height. Sometimes, we are biased because of our previous experiences. In this case, the
superintendent lost his relatives during the time of General Yamashita. But then again, we can
see the hard work and perseverance of Hilda Tadaoan, and it is not her fault that she shares that
infamous name.
Hilda Tadaoan was one of the people who were largely affected by the war. But this did
not stop her from pursuing her love of teaching. As such, she has given a valuable contribution to
the community. She has chosen a path of peace and love, and not the path of those who waged
war.
“The experiences during the war taught me that there are no winners in war... Let us all
remember that war or nay conflict does not choose who it hurts. Everybody loses. Both the so-
called victors and losers, most specially the innocent, suffer. We should all strive for peace,”
Hilda said.
We may not know her or her students personally, but we should be thanakful for her and
people like her who choose to sow seeds of peace instead of hatred and love of war in the hearts
of people.